Part of the Introductions to Chinese Culture series, this book covers the great variety of unique festivals that have evolved over the course of China's long history, describing a representative selection of 42 traditional and statutory events. Like all the books in the series, it is written by a noted expert in the field, well illustrated with colour photographs and offers an ideal introductory survey for both students and general readers.

Part of the Introductions to Chinese Culture series, this book provides a fascinating insight into the ancient culture of Chinese tea; the trade, tradition, literature, philosophy and ceremony associated with tea in China; and its popularization around the world. Like all the books in the series, it is written by a noted expert in the field, well illustrated with colour reproductions and photographs and offers an ideal introductory survey for both students and general readers.

A elementary course in spoken and written Mandarin, this Yale textbook provides the core materials for a first year course, aiming for basic competence in conversation, pronunciation, the reading process, writing system and pinyin transcription.

Traditional Chinese painting was fundamentally an abstract art form, and sought to portray the harmony between the natural world and human emotion. In this book, part of the Introductions to Chinese Culture series, Lin Ci explores the history, theory and development of distinctive styles of Chinese painting. Like all the books in the series, it is written by a noted expert in the field, well illustrated with colour reproductions and offers an ideal introductory survey for both students and general readers.

In this volume, 15 leading scholars offer a critical evaluation of Mao Zedong, from the historical and political context of his emergence as a revolutionary in the early 20th century to his legacy.

Examining Chinese art over several millennia, this unconventional volume presents reproductions or photographs of a vast range of artefacts and paintings, each one juxtaposed with another work on the facing page, and producing unexpected dialogues across time, culture and genre. Shitao's Riverbank of Peach Blossoms (c.1700), for example is paired with a 2006 installation, Sketch the Sketch Lesson by Qiu Xiaofei, but the volume includes sculptures, ceramics, calligraphy and photographs ranging in date from prehistory to the 21st century.

There are more than 50 ethnic minorities in the People's Republic of China, most of them living in remote regions of the country. Photographer Alessandra Meniconzi has journeyed across China following the trail of traditional cultures and lifestyles from Yunnan's endless rice terraces in the deep south to the historic trading hubs in north-western Xinjiang. This magnificent collection of her colour photographs documents many traditional ways of life that could soon cease to exist.

Challenging Eurocentric theories of international relations, Kang analyses how the East Asian system functioned from the founding of the Ming dynasty in 1368 to the start of the Opium Wars in 1841, a period which saw only two large-scale conflicts between China and its neighbours. After explaining how the 'tribute system' fostered diplomatic and commercial exchange, he ends by considering the contribution of the region's formal hierarchy to the increasing stability and integration of the modern East Asian world.

Part of the Introductions to Chinese Culture series, this book draws on archaeological evidence and examples of precious cultural artefacts to provide an introduction to the mystery of jade and the role that jade wares have played in Chinese social life. Like all the books in the series, it is written by a noted expert in the field, well illustrated with colour reproductions and photographs and offers an ideal introductory survey for both students and general readers.

The unique art inspired by Tibet's cultural amalgam of Shamanism and Buddhism is meant to be of specific use and spiritual benefit to everyone. Rawson discusses a wealth of photographs which depict not only the artistic productions of the past but also the activities of the present-day monks who continue ancient traditions, with their mandalas, mantras and meditation offering 'powerful, untarnished and coherent alternatives to Western egotistical lifestyles'.

Dispersed across India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, midnight's descendants – the generations born since the midnight partition of British India in 1947 – are the world's fastest-growing population. This first comprehensive history of this complex and inter-connected region charts its uneven and often fraught path to modernization; the volatile relationship between India and Pakistan; the rise of religious fundamentalism; the bitter wars in Kashmir and Sri Lanka; and the area's increasing influence on global economics and geopolitics.

Mount Fuji, with its majestic cone and snow-capped summit, has inspired artists and writers for centuries. This lavish volume, with an embossed foil cover, discusses its continuing influence, and focuses on the series of views of the mountain by the giants of Japanese woodblock art, Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) and Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858). Hundreds of reproductions show this emblem of perfection, symmetry, spiritual balance and endurance in all its many guises, while the text follows the evolution of the artists' work.

Although Confucius (551-479 BCE) is considered to represent the peak of traditional Chinese thought, the standard arrangement of his Analects, which were compiled in haphazard fashion from his disciples' lecture notes, obscures the full profundity of his ideas. This new translation, rearranged thematically to form a coherent whole, presents Confucius's own words separately from those of his disciples, with brief modern commentary that explains the internal logic of Confucian philosophy.

Covering three millennia of Chinese history, this book comprises 96 short biographies of people from as wide a range of regions, ethnicities, eras and achievement as possible. Illustrated with portraits and other artworks, the listing begins with a woman - Fu Hao, a royal consort and female warrior of the 13th century BCE - and includes people from every sphere of political, military, cultural, artistic and scientific life, up to the end of the 20th century.

One of the world's foremost historians of China, Jonathan Spence presents a concise biography of Mao Zedong, deflating myths and showing how, through relentless energy and ruthless self-confidence, Mao was able to attain so much power and hold on to it for so long. Spence likens him to a 'Lord of Misrule', turning traditional Chinese society upside down in 'a long drawn-out adventure in upheaval'.

Beginning with the reign of the Yongle emperor (1403–1424), this richly illustrated catalogue presents over 120 artefacts once owned by princes of the Ming dynasty during the period up to the death of the Jiajing emperor in 1566. Indicative of the fabulous wealth of the Ming rulers, the pieces described and photographed include gold and silver vessels, jewellery and jade, paintings, porcelain and clothing. The volume also contains essays on aspects of Ming art history and recent archaeological finds.

Dr Ernest Peake (1874-1950), the father of Mervyn Peake, was a newly qualified doctor when he was sent to China by the London Missionary Society in 1899, and he practised medicine in Hunan province and Tientsin until 1923. These memoirs describe his experience of 'the Celestial Empire' during a period that saw the violent end of Manchu rule and the start of the Chinese Republic. The memoirs are published here for the first time, with an introduction by Hilary Spurling.

Interpreting Japanese mandalas as sanctified realms where identification between the human and sacred occurs, the author examines 8th- to 17th-century paintings from three traditions: Esoteric Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism and Shinto.

Kiyoshi Saito (1907-1997) was one of the masters of Japanese printmaking in the 20th century. He performed every aspect of the process himself, including cutting the woodblocks and printing the images, to maintain absolute control; and he was credited with a significant role in making modern Japanese prints popular the world over. This book collects more than 90 subtly beautiful artworks, from temples, gardens and people to streets and foreign lands, and includes an essay on his career.

Jonathan Hay presents a richly illustrated, in-depth introduction to the visual arts of China during the Ming to mid-Qing period, c.1570-1840, focusing on artefacts made for the home rather than export market. With photographs and reproductions of 228 objects, including paintings, porcelain, metalwares, carvings and furniture, the text explores issues of materials and technique, patronage and taste, and the cultural role of the decorative arts.

The Tibetan way of life is changing fast, with new transport links and communications infrastructure bringing ever more tourists and technology. The environment itself is also in jeopardy as the region heats up and glaciers that feed important water sources flowing into China, India and Pakistan recede. This photographic portfolio presents studies of the striking people, landscapes and customs of Tibet with reference to how these modern threats are affecting the country's traditional devotional Buddhist culture.

Malaysia offers a striking variety of attractions for the visitor, from the high-rise skyline of the capital Kuala Lumpur to pristine beaches and rainforest trekking. Illustrated with colour photographs on every page, this attractive book gives an overview of Malaysia's geography, history, people, religion, arts and cuisine, before exploring both parts of the country: Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. Special features cover a wide range of topics, from festivals to street art.

An estimated 20 per cent of the world's animal species can be found in Malaysia and the country has a network of reserves and protected areas, from the diverse environments of the vast Taman Negara National Park to the caves of Gunung Mulu. Written by local experts, this extensively illustrated volume examines the flora and fauna of rainforest, wetland, coastal and highland areas and considers its conservation in the country's three regions – Sabah and Sarawak in Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia.

Buddhism is a faith embraced by hundreds of millions of people, yet all that is known about its founder comes from a collection of ancient writings that fuse history, biography and myth. This concise but comprehensive introduction from the bestselling author of Fields of Blood (Postscript 25329) distils the chief events of Buddha's life and quest for enlightenment, illuminating the key tenets of the religion and the ideas of this most influential of spiritual thinkers.

It was 1963, and Xinran was five years old, when she first heard the rumour - one of China's soldiers had been brutally dissected and fed to the vultures. Thirty years would pass before Xinran learned the truth about the ritual of sky burial through the shocking life story of Shu Wen, a woman who had spent most of her life on the Tibetan plateau in search of her lost husband. Translated by Julia Lovell and Esther Tyldesley.

The Zen kong-an (koan in Japanese) is a simple and effective tool for connecting with the freedom of our 'before thinking' mind. This book shows kong-an practice in action, through interactions between Korean Zen master Seung Sahn and his students.

Before giant robots, space ships, and masked super heroes filled the pages of Japanese comic books--known as manga--such characters were regularly seen on the streets of Japan in kamishibai stories. Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater tells the history of this fascinating and nearly vanished Japanese art form that paved the way for modern-day comic books, and is the missing link in the development of modern manga.

Based around 90 masterpieces in the Seattle Art Museum, this book describes and illustrates paintings, ceramics, lacquer ware and screens, while accompanying essays discuss Japanese art from prehistory to the 19th century.

In this volume of the Science and Civilisation in China series, originally supervised by Joseph Needham (1900-1995), Donald Wagner provides a comprehensive account, including detailed technical discussions, of the production and use of iron and steel in China, from their earliest appearance to the mid 20th century. Wagner sets Chinese ferrous metallurgy in political and economic context, one of his aims being a 'demonstration of some of the ways in which technologies influence the course of history'.

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Some of Asia's greatest empires flourished during the last millennium, from the Khmer empire (802-1566) of South East Asia to the defeat of Japan in the Second World War - but we still believe the myth that these centuries were dominated by European empires. Challenging such a view, the seven essays in this beautifully illustrated book reveal that Asian kingdoms - the Mongols, Ming, Khmer, Ottomans, Safavids, Mughals and Meiji - played a significant part in this era of polycentric world power.

Retracing the route of Mao's Long March, an international team of photographers compiled this spectacular volume revealing the monumental changes of the past 75 years, as villages have become cities, dirt tracks superhighways, and everywhere the buzz of industry and commerce fills the air. With a digital app to access additional audio-visual content on an iPad, this is a magnificent survey of China's landscapes and a tribute to the resilience of its peoples.

The story of five expeditions to Tibet made by Jesuit explorers between 1624 and 1721, looking at how they survived extraordinary hardships and dangers that still rest of civilization. 8pp b&w plates

Traditional Chinese medicine is one of the most renowned and most controversial scientific achievements of ancient Chinese civilization and still plays an important part in Chinese health care. This book, part of the Introductions to Chinese Culture series, provides an accessible overview of the theory and practice of traditional Chinese medicine. Like all the books in the series, it is written by a noted expert in the field, well illustrated with colour reproductions and photographs and offers an ideal introductory survey for both students and general readers.

A colourful and very accessible introduction to Chinese culture, this book comprises concise, well-illustrated and richly informative articles on aspects of the country ranging from natural wonders such as the magical Stone Forest to chop sticks. Beginning with cultural icons, including calligraphy, fengshui and the four auspicious creatures, the book has chapters covering architecture, festivals, daily life, arts and crafts, legends, famous historical figures and the performing arts.